Foreword:

Ever wonder what God might have to say to YOU today? Here are things to ponder, and things to receive into your heart. If you have a question, put it in the comments. I respond as much as I can.

A note for all my readers: I've been experimenting with YouTube videos for Bible teaching for a while, and I'm working through Revelation here. My YouTube videos are currently short studies in Matthew, and at present I'm posting videos on Revelation as well. Both appear on the blog, which is turning into a Vlog. I encourage you to subscribe to my YouTube channel for better coverage.

Sunday, October 18, 2015

"Dying thou shalt die;"
"As in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive"
The Last enemy that shall be destroyed is death."
"Death and Hell were cast into the lake of fire."

(Jesus said) "I am the resurrection and the life; He who believes in Me, though He were dead, yet shall he live, and he who lives and believes in Me shall never die."
"Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life."

The best thing about death is that it is definitely not the end. Every Christian believes in everlasting life. Every Christian knows he will probably have to suffer death. But every Christian who expects to die also knows that he will never cease to exist. The greatest blessings of all time are these: we have a a God who has for no reason loved us, a Lord who has saved us, and a home in heaven,

When Jesus said,
"Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life," He was saying that nothing we suffer for Him is without its full reward. The folks who lived in Smyrna were in the midst of a firestorm (Smyrna was the 2nd church that Jesus wrote to in Revelation 2)--persecution was raging, and behind the humans who hated the Smyrnan Christians stood that evil personage, the Devil, The Serpent of Old, the Dragon, Satan, who was energizing and directing the persecution of the helpless Smyrnans.

In times like these, the Lord points us to the future--not the immediate future, but the future that He has prepared for us.
"Be faithful unto death, and..." the "and" means there is something more, something beyond, something indescribably wonderful, and which compensates for all the pain, the suffering, the horror, of the worst persecutions.
"Our light affliction, which is for a moment, works for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of Glory..."
Interestingly, there will not even be any PTSD in heaven, for the Lord will wipe away all tears from our eyes, and we will be secure in Him forever.
Death is not the end. Death is the beginning of our eternity. We do not seek it as Christians, but we do not fear it, as those who have no hope.
Death is the ultimate doorway. The doorway into eternity. Be ready.